WILLIAM AYLMER,
Sir, - It should be a cause of serious concern to every healthy adult in this society that, in an election year when voters' high expectations for the quality of our health services are likely to influence the way many will vote, the Irish Blood Transfusion Service struggles to satisfy demand from week to week and at ever-increasing cost to the Exchequer (The Irish Times, January 8th and 9th).
There is no reason why, in a healthy society such as ours, there should ever be a deficit in the blood supply. If all eligible adults donated a unit of blood even once a year, the national requirement for blood and blood products would be satisfied many times over, reducing the burden on the existing pool of regular donors who have long since understood the value of their simple and selfless gift to society.
Regular voluntary blood donation is a simple way for people to contribute to a better health service for all at no additional cost to society. - Yours, etc.,
WILLIAM AYLMER,
Willow Field,
Sandymount,
Dublin 4.
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Sir, - As a blood donor, I don't understand why reminders or requests for donation are not sent more regularly to donors - I have received only one or two over the past three years. As donors are able to donate up to four times a year, would maintenance of blood stocks not be aided by the automatic sending of reminders, either by post or e-mail, three months after each individual's donation? - Yours, etc.,
PATRICK JORDAN,
Woodbrook Park,
Templeogue,
Dublin 16.
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Sir, - It was news to me as a blood donor that the IBTS charges €223.07 for a bag of my blood. May I suggest that the IBTS consider paying donors. I think this would lead to more donations and therefore less expenditure on advertising. - Yours, etc.,
P.J. MANNERS,
Shenick Grove,
Skerries,
Co Dublin.